Depuis la remontée à la surface des Primes Racines en 2483, le Jour du Bûcher est célébré chaque année dans la capitale fyros afin de commémorer le sacrifice de l'empereur Cerakos II et le passage de l’ancienne vie à la nouvelle dans le Désert Ardent. De façon symbolique, cet événement a lieu la nuit du solstice d’hiver, qui marque à la fois une période de deuil et le retour de la lumière qui va lentement réchauffer la terre jusqu'au printemps.
Traditionnellement, une procession de mineurs pénitents défile sous la lune du solstice d’hiver en portant une effigie de Cerakos II depuis la Porte de Cerakos, où la dépouille embaumée du puissant empereur fût incinérée, à travers les rues de Pyr puis de nouveau vers la porte. Cette procession représente les mineurs ayant découvert le premier nid de kitins, déclenchant ainsi le Grand Essaim. L’effigie représente l’empereur Cerakos II, qui sacrifia sa vie en faisant diversion de sorte qu’un grand nombre d’homins purent s’échapper vers l’est, mais commémore également ceux qui périrent pendant l’holocauste.
La procession démarre à la Porte de Cerakos, descend l’Avenue Aristpotle, passe devant la résidence de l’Empereur, puis en empruntant l’Avenue Cerakos repart vers la Porte des Fyros où l’effigie est brûlée sur le bûcher. L’urne funéraire de Cerakos II est alors remise à l’Empereur au dernier coup de minuit en symbole de continuité. L’Empereur proclame alors le début des festivités, qui célèbrent le courage de ceux qui ont donné leur vie pour le peuple Fyros.
Il est très significatif que chaque civilisation ait choisi le solstice d’hiver pour marquer l’anniversaire du nouveau commencement sur les nouvelles terres. Cette période de l'année est vue à la fois comme un hommage aux disparus et comme une transition, symbolisée par le début de l'hiver, où la terre se repose avant de renaître au printemps.
Un calendrier universel a été adopté par les quatre civilisations en 2484 pour permettre une meilleure coordination des affaires internationales. Il se compose comme suit : une année est divisée en quatre cycles de douze mois. Chaque mois compte trente jours répartis en cinq semaines de six jours. L’année commence au printemps, et débute traditionnellement le premier jour du mois de Winderly.
Mois Printemps : Winderly Germinally Folially
Eté : Floris Medis Thermis
Automne : Harvestor Frutor Fallenor
Hiver : Pluvia Mystia Nivia
Jours Prima, Dua, Tria, Quarta, Quinteth, Holeth (jour du culte quelle que soit la religion)
Fyros technology is based on an intimate knowledge of fire. Centuries of observation and experimentation have led these peoples of the desert to develop techniques enabling them to increase material resistance through heat. An object is heated in fire to a specific temperature then slowly cooled in sand to toughen the fibre by reducing its brittleness. Situated behind Karavia Square in the imperial city of Pyr is the great Fyros forge. This forge was built according to the plans of the great Fyros crafter Xamus, during the reign of Leanon, and is able to temper all kinds of materials with great precision.
From the very outset of their civilization, the Fyros came to associate the wild flames that often scorched their lands with the dragon of the myth. Believing the flames to be a manifestation of the dreaded dragon, the Fyros bravely confronted and then learnt to tame the flames to prevent their wild rampage.
Sages under the rule of Hempios were prompted to further research to find out how to harness the destructive powers of fire. Thus it was discovered that acid on contact with air creates flames. This discovery not only shook the foundation of the myth of the Dragon but marked a turning point in Fyros mastery of fire. Indeed, this knowledge was extended to the manufacture of Fyros weapons, which are capable of blasting out fire, making the Fyros the most redoubtable warriors on Atys.
The road to fire mastery however has not been without sacrifice. Indeed experimentation has triggered many fires including the Great Fire of Coriolis which ravaged the cities of Coriolis and Destranon in the old lands.
Despite being capable of conjuring fire, the Fyros still conserve a natural source situated in the Burning Forest. This natural fire contains magical properties.
The Fyros quest for the cause of dragonfire led to the council of sages under Krythos to form a company of miners. This long mining tradition has made the Fyros excellent harvesters, allowing them to greater knowledge in the extraction of raw materials and leading them to develop techniques which increase potential extraction time of deposits.
The Legend of Oflovak Rydon - told by a Fyros merchant
Oflovak Rydon had been a great traveller in the old lands and during the great kitin swarming he shepherded thousands of Fyros from the capital city away from danger into the wilderness. On the morning of the seventh day he went to the crest of a dune to find his bearings when a halo of light came from the heavens and a great one spoke to him.
“I am Elias, the father of your condition, I will help you in this moment of need. Take your people to the east to the Ridge of Baldos where you will find a rainbow on the plain. Be swift, Oflovak .” On his bended knees, Oflovak gave his reply: “You have my word, Elias, and as long as breath shall fill my lungs it shall ring true.”
There was no time to lose, the wind could change direction at any moment and carry the Fyros scent to the kitin armies that were at present traveling south. Oflovak knew the dunes like the knuckles of his hand and, true to his word, led the multitude wisely to the Ridge of Baldos where there stood the promise of Elias. The rainbow carried them far away to a haven in the Prime Roots on another land, but little did Oflovak know there could be no return once through.
By and by as more homins of every race made it to the Prime Roots with tales of horror and destruction it became clear to Oflovak that even the rainbows would soon be destroyed by the kitins. The remaining multitudes of homins stranded in the kitin infested areas would never know the way to the sanctuary. But how to bring them back? To bring anyone back is to find them first!
Again the answer came from the sky, this time at night. Throughout his life travels Oflovak had developed a love for stargazing and could tell where the clusters would appear according to the season. In this way he concluded that the Prime Root sanctuary must be situated far to the west of the ancient lands even though many thought they were to the east, as the rainbows had been located to the east of all the homin territories.
In defiance of his advancing years, Oflovak set out guided by the stars at night on the greatest trek. Every so often, aided by his apprentices, Deutheus Xaphaan and Kedgy Be'Cauny, he planted signposts that pointed the way back to the newfound lands. After many adventures, twice nearly losing his life and three full years of arduous travel, at last he came to a place he knew. The plains of Coriolis, where Fyros history had so often been made, stood before him scarred and maimed after years of kitin devastation.
He went from desert to forest, forest to lake lands, lake lands to jungle spreading the word of the route to safe haven. I, with my parents, was among the first to take that route which opened the way for the Exodus. My greatest regret is that Oflovak Rydon, the savior of so many, never saw the rebirth of our civilization. But I sometimes fancy he is up there looking down from a cloud with Elias.